


Legacy

by cup_of_comfort



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: (kinda?), M/M, One-Sided Relationship, Pre-Canon, Slice of Life, Slow Build, implied beelzebub/belial
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:15:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26046391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cup_of_comfort/pseuds/cup_of_comfort
Summary: Beelzebub doesn't like babysitting Lucilius at all. But perhaps he has come to grow fonder of the younger Astral—alittle. —beelzebub/lucilius
Relationships: Beelzebub/Belial (Granblue Fantasy), Beelzebub/Lucilius (Granblue Fantasy)
Kudos: 10





	Legacy

**Author's Note:**

> this is supposed to be a commission, but because of something, i just decided to post this to put into my portfolio.
> 
> my gbf fanfics are pretty much rotated around the astrals although my OTP is other characters (laughs) i'll make sure to write some later!
> 
> enjoy! comments always appreciated (´ ∀ ` *)

A day barely passed after the new Astral arrived at their base, but Beelzebub had already heard rumours flying all over the place about him.

He couldn't care less, really. Most of the newer-born Astrals nowadays were more unique than their predecessors, so it wasn't unusual to find older Astrals who didn't get along with the change. Additionally, it’s unlikely that he was going to encounter this new Astral really soon; considering that he was mostly tasked with in-field missions most of the time. Beelzebub had just finished his latest work, so he went back to the base to report to the Council.

His footsteps echoed in the silent hallway leading towards the Council’s meeting room, but something different piqued his interest on the way. There was a new additional room there, which Beelzebub didn't remember existed before. At least, not before his departure two weeks ago.

"'Research Laboratory'...?" He paused briefly, reading the nameplate above the tinted glass door. The more scholarly Astrals usually had their own research room for their studies, but there was something about this room that made Beelzebub interested about it.

He stared at the door, debating whether he should give it a peek or not, but in the end decided against it, although he kept it in mind to go back and look at it later. For now, he should give the report to the Council first; the sooner he finished the meeting, the better.

  
  


"Your next mission has been decided."

Beelzebub's expression didn't change, although he did let a quiet, irritated huff out. "Where would I be going this time?" He asked, eyeing the ten Council members sitting ahead of him.

"Nowhere, actually," one answered. "You will stay in the base and keep an eye on someone."

The blond almost raised an eyebrow. "Someone?"

"The new Astral who arrived here just before your arrival. We presume you've heard of him," another spoke. "He is... different from our kind, even being an Astral himself. We would like to have you observe him and report to us periodically."

What a troublesome bunch of old people. “I’m an in-field agent, if you haven’t realised it yet,” Beelzebub said. “I'm sure there are people who are more qualified than me."

"Did you not hear us the first time? We said, your mission has been  _ decided _ ," an impatient growl came out. "We do not ask for your opinion, nor do we  _ need _ it, Beelzebub. Remember, your evaluation will come up soon; depending on your performance this time, we... will decide whether you are qualified to be a member of the Council. And you would want the result to be... preferable, would you not?"

Beelzebub tilted his head lower, not to show them submission but to hide the roll of his eyes. It was such a cheap provocation, yet he knew that they weren't bluffing. "...understood," he finally said. "Where is he?"

"There is a new facility built not far from here; it is built to be his," the first councilman replied. "You should have encountered it on the way."

Ah. That 'Research Laboratory'. "Then I will be back next time with your report, Elders." He bowed down and turned back. "...excuse me."

The piercing stares and the silent pressure riding on his back accompanied him as he left the meeting room, closing the door with a slam behind.

  
  


Beelzebub stared at the door in front of him with a blank expression. He was sure he had a good sleep last night and had prepared himself; but it was always easier to say and theorise than to experience it himself. To be honest, Beelzebub never really got along with other Astrals outside of necessity since he's used to being alone. Missions outside the bases—although usually covered by a few fellow Astrals—were done individually to ensure speedy completion, considering how vast the Sky Realm was.

But a job's a job, and despite not wanting to submit to the Council completely, he still needed to secure his position within, in order to fulfill his own goal.

The blond sighed and pushed the door open, his nostrils immediately invaded by the pungent smell of machine oil and various chemicals mixed together. It was strong enough to give him a migraine; if a mortal even take a single whiff of it, most likely they would've died by suffocation within fifteen seconds.

Beelzebub could make a shadow in the center of the room, surrounded by complex machineries and was currently tinkering with something. However, when the shadow realised that Beelzebub was there, it stopped and stood up, walking towards him.

"....I don't recall inviting you into my laboratory."

Beelzebub didn't answer, too engrossed in staring at the man. He looked very young—probably just a few decades had passed since his birth—and  _ pretty _ , with silver hair and pale skin. But the most enticing feature was his eyes; the blue that seemingly could hypnotise you with just a gaze.

"I'm asking you a question. If you intend to come here only to stare and ignore me, then I suggest you leave," the man spoke again, folding his hands on his chest. "Don't waste my time."

"...don't mind me," Beelzebub replied and averted his gaze, a little flustered at how unusual he acted just now. "I just came because the Council asked me to keep an eye on you." The Council didn't ask him to keep the matter a secret, anyway.

"Huh," the man snorted, seemingly amused. "A dog of the Council?"

"Don't worry, I don't intend to tattle you to the old fools,” Beelzebub shrugged. “As long as you don’t do something that interferes with my plans, at least.”

The new Astral let out a hum. “And what ‘plans’ might that be?”

Beelzebub answered with a glare instead. “You’d better watch it; I did say I won’t tattle, but that doesn’t mean I want to get comfortable with you.”

“This dog is apparently cranky,” he waved his hand and turned back to his machine. “And stop calling me with ‘you’; Lucilius is my name. You better remember it since we’re going to see each other quite a lot, don’t you think... Big hound?”

“It’s ‘Beelzebub’,” Beelzebub glared.

“Then, Beelzebub,” Lucilius turned his head slightly. “Rather than standing there like an idiot, what do you say about helping me move some of these machineries? Make use of that big body of yours.”

“Why should I?” The blond asked. “It seems more fun seeing you struggle by yourself.”

He almost snorted when Lucilius rolled his eyes, but the other man didn’t say anything else in response. Instead, he whistled and clapped twice, and from deep inside the room,  _ something _ moved, and with each step Beelzebub felt the floor beneath him shaking.

When it finally emerged from the darkness—enough for Beelzebub to see it under the light—he widened his eyes. It was a golem, height almost half-size of the research laboratory, with yellow stones embedded as its eyes. Beelzebub almost jumped backwards when the golem's next step sent the boxes next to him toppling. "You must be crazy if you can bring this kind of stuff up  _ in _ the base," Beelzebub said.

Lucilius only gave him a sideway glance. "What a rude way to call my creation, Beelzebub," he patted the golem and it stood still, as if it's... waiting.

"Wait, you  _ created _ this golem?  _ Here _ ?"

"It's not a golem. I prefer to call them... beasts, mostly," Lucilius clapped again twice and the...  _ beast _ started moving again, but this time it walked towards the goods and started moving them. "Hm. Still a little too rough on the movements, but I can work it out."

"You built a golem to  _ move _ things? I don't know how primal you can get, but this is something our Astral technologies can do. Easily, in fact," Beelzebub snorted. For once, the Council was partially right on their hunches. This Astral was definitely a definition of an odd duck.

"... _ that's _ a good name!" Lucilius suddenly perked up. "Primal! Exactly that; they should be called primal beasts from now on."

An  _ extremely _ odd duck.

"And it's  _ not _ a golem, Beelzebub. It's a beast," Lucilius repeated. "Our technologies are convenient, but some things still need living beings to control them. I created these beasts with a purpose so we can use them."

"A... purpose?"

"Mortals use the term 'beasts' to describe monsters," Lucilius followed the... beast to inspect the moved goods. "They are powerful and definitely useful, but they mostly run on instinct. If I can create something that mimics those creatures and give them a purpose, we will be able to use them for menial tasks like this.”

Beelzebub raised an eyebrow. Well, it was definitely useful, but... sounded like a little bit too impractical. "Are you sure it's going to benefit us in some ways?" He asked.

Lucilius just shrugged. "My research is still in early stages. Like I said earlier, this is just one of my prototypes. It's going to be better and more perfect in several decades." He turned to the blond. "On the other hand, are  _ you _ sure you're up to this... 'mission'... about keeping an eye on me? Bet you will get bored in just a few days."

"Don't push your luck, Lucilius. They sent me here because I'm the best," Beelzebub huffed. He probably sounded a little too childish, but he didn't care much since Lucilius challenged him. He definitely wouldn't lose.

  
  


Beelzebub was wrong.

It hadn't even been a month and he was bored out of his mind. Scoping the Sky Realm—the mortals' place—was monotonous, but at least there was always something new for him to observe.

Meanwhile, Lucilius pretty much kept his schedule constant. He practically lived in his laboratory anyway—he usually woke up around dawn and would go to work immediately, tinkering with the machines and chemicals. Then he would have someone deliver meals to the laboratory, only to have it forgotten until he  _ actually _ felt hungry. He would go back to his work and then fell asleep in the middle of inspecting—only to wake up again at dawn. Rinse and repeat. As someone who was used to in-field missions, being cooped up inside a lab surrounded with machines and endless cardboard boxes drove Beelzebub half-mad.

"Out of curiosity, Lucilius, have you ever been  _ outside _ ?" Beelzebub asked one day. Lucilius, who was currently working with the chemicals, lifted his head to stare at the blond.

"If you're implying that I need to get some sun, we do get some here," he said, pointing at the skylight roof. Beelzebub almost wanted to stab him in the eye.  _ Almost _ .

"You spent all your time in the research lab. If you keep this up, you’ll grow moldy like bread someday,” the blond rolled his eyes, tapping his fingers onto the table surface impatiently.

In response, Lucilius gave him an amused smirk. “Are you worried about me?"

"I am  _ not _ ," Beelzebub growled. "I am supposed to be an in-field agent, not a scientist babysitter! If I stayed here for another day,  _ I _ would probably be the one who grows moldy.”

“So you  _ are _ bored,” Lucilius stated, like it’s a matter of fact, as he turned back to his research once more, evidently ignoring the blond. “I warned you, didn’t I? Besides, you don’t have to look after me  _ all day _ . I don’t need you loitering around like a lost puppy every time I work—it’s distracting, and you’re annoying me.”

That was the last straw. “ _ Who _ are you calling a ‘lost puppy’?! Do you think I want to be holed with  _ you _ , of all Astrals, inside a room all day?” Beelzebub fumed. “Besides, you’ve been here for a month and you haven’t even stepped outside this room!"

"I did it when I first came here, so stop yapping already!"

"What the—alright, that's it," Beelzebub huffed. He stomped towards Lucilius and, with a single scoop, heaved him up his shoulder. "We're going out."

"Where do you think you're bringing me?! I swear I will stab you if you don't put me down!" Lucilius grabbed a handful of Beelzebub's long hair and pulled, making the larger Astral wince.

"You can't do that—if you harm me, the Council will definitely treat you as a danger, and will immediately cease all support going to your research," Beelzebub said. "Let's go to the mortals' world—you said that you'll create primal beasts based on their monsters, but I bet you haven't even seen one up close."

Lucilius stopped struggling, which could only mean that Beelzebub was actually right. He let out a small, secret smile—even the one they claimed as one of the most brilliant researchers was clueless about the Sky Realm. "...at least put me down, you dumb oaf," Lucilius said. "I haven't forgotten how to walk."

"Did someone  _ ever _ teach you how to talk to others nicely if you're asking them for a favour?" Beelzebub was seriously considering throwing Lucilius off down to the ground instead.

"It isn't a  _ favour _ , it's an  _ order _ . And you're the one who scooped me up in the first place," Lucilius complained. When Beelzebub put him down, he patted his white coat off the invisible dusts, then cast a nonchalant glance towards the blond. “Then, lead the way.”

Beelzebub stared at him, before letting out a soft sigh. If he argued further, then they would never see the end of it. “Just keep close and don’t get lost,” he finally said, walking towards the nearest exit out of Estalucia. He beckoned Lucilius towards the warp point, and once they had stepped safely inside, Beelzebub activated the device and they warped right onto one of the floating islands in the Sky Realm.

"...where are we?" Lucilius asked, looking at his surroundings.

"The locals call this place 'Port Breeze'," Beelzebub explained. "Has something to do with how the wind's pretty strong here, from what I've heard."

Lucilius hummed and started wandering, seemed to revel on the new things he saw. The white-haired Astral closed his eyes when the wind blew, softly fluttering the strands of his hair and gently caressing his cheeks. "Feels nice."

"Changing your mind about preferring to be holed up in your lab all day, Lucilius?" Beelzebub mocked, arms crossed on his chest. Honestly, it was kind of adorable, like seeing a child outside for the first time. Although Beelzebub wouldn't admit it.

Lucilius turned to glare at him. "Don't be ridiculous. This is a different experience altogether compared to the lab," he bent down and touched the grass and wild flowers growing on the field. "...a beast, who controls the elements..."

"...hm?"

"How many islands are there in the Sky Realm?" The silver-haired man asked.

"Why the sudden question?" Beelzebub raised an eyebrow, but answered nonetheless. "We don't know. This skydom is called the Phantagrande, and it has 13 known islands so far," he explained. "There's always a report going to the Council every time a scout finished their observation in other skydoms, but there might be tons of it out there, still unexplored."

Lucilius looked thoughtful. "I guess that'll do. Take me to the other islands, then."

Beelzebub looked baffled. He first thought of dragging Lucilius outside in order to annoy him, but now Lucilius seemed to be more interested in it. Although... Probably this was better than dying of boredom inside Lucilius's research laboratory.

"If you keep asking  _ nicely _ , I might take you to the next island," the taller Astral said smugly, arms crossed in front of his chest. He couldn't resist a smirk when Lucilius gave him a menacing glare.

" _ Please _ ," Lucilius spat the word, rolling his eyes impatiently. "Happy?"

"Hmph," Beelzebub snorted, amused, but he kept his word. With a single flick of finger, another portal opened and they stepped into it.

They visited three other islands—the Valtz, where the residents' livelihoods depend on their central furnace; Auguste Isles, with bodies of water so vast that the end of the island seemed to disappear; and then, there was Lumacie, which area consisted of several islands floating closely, with overgrown plants and foliage everywhere—before coming back to Estalucia that day. When Beelzebub left Lucilius, he noticed that the younger Astral seemed oddly... motivated.

But he shrugged it off. He would see Lucilius again tomorrow, after all. It’s just going to be another boring day of babysitting.

  
  


Beelzebub was wrong,  _ again _ .

The door was locked tight when Beelzebub tried to enter the research laboratory the next day. There was a handwritten note taped on the door surface that read, ' _ Don't disturb' _ .

A vein popped on Beelzebub's temple. He jiggled on the handle futilely. "Lucilius!" He yelled. "Open the fucking door!"

There was a moment of silence before Lucilius's muted voice was heard. "Go away!"

"Open the door before I  _ break _ this!" Beelzebub growled. He knew it was impossible, though; he might have strength and build to snap a mortal into half, but every door in this base was reinforced so it couldn't be broken forcefully even by an Astral. But there wasn't anything he could lose by bluffing.

Another silence set in, and Beelzebub was about to pound the door again when it opened, slightly, with a haggard Lucilius peeking from the gap. "What the hell do you want from me?"

"What's the meaning of  _ this _ ?" Beelzebub pointed at the note.

"...I'm sure I don't need to explain that to you," Lucilius huffed. "Or can't you read?"

"That's not what I—oh, fuck this. You know that you're under surveillance, and you can't just shut me out like this!" The blond fumed, trying to pry the door open futilely. “I’m the one who has to report to the Council for  _ you _ !”

Lucilius grumbled something under his breath, before slamming the door closed in front of the larger Astral’s nose. Beelzebub didn’t even have the time to register what was going on when the door opened again and a pile of papers were thrusted onto his face. "Take that to the Council and say I'm busy. Don't disturb me again."

Then the door was closed again, this time with the telltale  _ click _ of lock setting in. The blond blinked, looked at the papers in his hand, and back to the closed door. The note stared back at him.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered, before turning back and returned to his place.

Just  _ in _ time for Lucilius to screw him up when he was about to put in the report for the Council.

The papers, apparently, were filled to the brim with handwritten drawings and notes, scribbled messily and in a hurry. Most likely all of them were written after they had gone back from the Sky Realm.

Beelzebub gave some of the legible ones a read. For an overnight notes, the amount was overwhelming, and as someone who had seen his shares of existing research journals from other Astrals, Lucilius’s ideas were brilliant. The concepts were laid down quite well, and even though Beelzebub could only  _ actually _ read half of them, they could possibly change the Astrals in bigger—and better—way.

Beelzebub had to admit—it’s not like Lucilius only had his pretty face to brag of—the younger Astral was a  _ genius _ . Probably the best researcher in Estalucia, by now. Not that he would admit it directly to Lucilius—he wouldn’t want to inflate the other’s ego too much.

For now, it’s probably better to trust Lucilius for his words (although trying to convince the Council would be a different matter altogether) and wait until whatever Lucilius was working in his lab was done.

  
  


For the rest of the month, Beelzebub spent his mornings and evenings banging on Lucilius’s laboratory door and checking whether the younger Astral was still alive in there. Fortunately (or unfortunately), Lucilius was pretty much alive, albeit pissed off, since every time Beelzebub checked in he always got some kind of new insult thrown from behind the door.

Honestly, Beelzebub felt stupid. He’s supposed to have more important things to do, but here he was, checking in with Lucilius twice a day like he was the researcher’s worried mum. It wasn’t only once he thought of  _ not _ checking in; but then he would always find himself staring at the note on the lab’s door and wondering  _ why _ the hell he came back.

it was until one morning, when he went to Lucilius’s lab to do his door-banging ritual, he found out the note had disappeared from Lucilius’s research lab door. Beelzebub stared at it, making sure, before pushing the handle slowly. It opened, without any resistance; unlike the past month.

The lab was oddly quiet—not even a single peep. It had changed since Beelzebub last saw it, too; most of the cardboard boxes were open with the contents spilling on the floor around it, and the smell of chemicals wafted thickly on the air. The blond wondered if Lucilius had somehow suffocated himself to death without anyone knowing when he noticed a presence behind him.

He whipped back and raised his fist to defend himself, but lowered it down as soon as he saw who it was.

“...Lucilius?”

The being softly  _ smiled _ . There was no way this was Lucilius—he had a different air around him, and while he wasn’t a mortal, he wasn’t an Astral either. But his face... And his voice—the resemblances were uncanny, it’s almost creepy to look at.

“My creator’s over there,” he pointed to the corner of the lab, where Lucilius was apparently napping peacefully. Beelzebub doubted the younger Astral even realised he was here. “He’s been awake for the past few days to perfect the other archangels, so I suggested for him to take a short break.”

Beelzebub turned back to stare at the man... being... whatever he was. It was then that the blond noticed the six pure-white wings he had. “Who are you?” He asked. “You said Lucilius created you.”

"My name's Lucifer," he told Beelzebub. "Lucilius created me to oversee and guide the world's evolution, and... to command the other archangels. A Supreme Primarch, as he called me."

"Or a 'primal beast', as Lucilius called it," Beelzebub pondered silently. His eyes then caught four more figures; two looked unfinished, and the other two unmoving, although they seemed complete. What interested him was that each figures had a distinct smell, like the essence of Sky Realm. The essence of each four islands Beelzebub showed Lucilius when they were out to the mortal world.

“...admiring my work much, Beelzebub?”

The blond rolled his eyes and turned back to see Lucilius standing behind him, hair and clothes rumpled. The circles under his eyes were practically  _ black _ . “Not so much, until you explain to me what the hell these creations of yours were.”

Lucilius yawned. “If you haven’t figured it out, they’re primal beasts I told you about. Just perfected,” he said, bending down over a box and rummaged inside. “I discarded my previous idea and decided to make my first primals closer to a perfect being... like us.”

Beelzebub raised an eyebrow and notioned at Lucifer hovering behind Lucilius. “Any particular reason you created that one  _ creepily _ identical to you?”

Lucilius took out a wrench and a nut bolt out and stared at Beelzebub. “Any reason why I should explain that to you?”

“I just don’t find the merit of degrading yourself by creating such a lower creature with your own face,” Beelzebub shrugged.

The younger Astral gave him a smug look. “I see you observed my copy quite thoroughly. It’s good to see you appreciating me for once, even if it’s only my face and not my skill.” He walked towards a machine and screwed the nut on a loose bolt.

“...shut up.”

“But you’re not denying it,” Lucilius threw the wrench aside and flipped a few switches. “Well, I planned to show him to the Council on the next assessment. Did you give the papers I handed you to the Council last time?”

“Yes, and you owe me for stopping them from breaking down your door with the preventative measure,” Beelzebub scowled. “They agreed to wait until your next assessment because I convinced them to. If you fail to impress them, it’s my neck they’re going to wring.”

“I’m grateful for that, then. Should I take you for dinner sometime?” Lucilius chuckled.

“Considering your idea of ‘dinner’ is forgotten lunch heated up, I’ll pass,” Beelzebub shrugged and turned towards the door. “I’ll fill in the report for your next assessment, then. And don’t lock your door again, since this time it won’t be bangings you hear!”

"You don't need to do something so futile, since nothing can break my door!" Lucilius yelled. When Beelzebub gave him a skeptical look, he snorted. "I was the one who invented the material for the door, and mine was enhanced further so nothing can bring it down.”

“... _ you _ invented the material?”

“Just two years before I transferred here. Stop gaping at me and get the hell out of my lab before your jaw drops over my floor,” Lucilius glared at Beelzebub. Only when the door slammed close, the blond disappearing behind it, that Lucilius finally gave off a genuine,  _ satisfied _ smile.

  
  


To Beelzebub’s surprise, Lucilius’s evaluation went without a hitch.

Of course, there’s bound to be two or three members who gave Lucilius the same skeptical look Beelzebub had earlier, but the general consensus of the assessment was that they liked his idea of ‘primal beasts’, that the Astrals could control at their beck and call. Moreover so that they had seen Lucifer, who was almost identical to Lucilius not only in looks but also intelligence. If they succeeded in replicating these primals, the Astrals would be unparalleled to anything across the skies.

With the approval of Lucilius's project, they erased his surveillance order, allowing Beelzebub to return as an in-field scout for the Sky Realm. They gave Lucilius everything he needed to ensure the smoothness of the project; bigger funds and a more spacious research lab.

Even though their paths no longer crossed, Beelzebub sometimes dropped by Lucilius's new lab when he was in-between missions, although more often than not he missed the younger Astral, leaving only his creations behind.

Aside from Lucifer—according to one of the laboratory staff—who had relocated to a separate facility Lucilius built for him, the younger Astral had completed the other four primarchs, who each governed over the four natural elements in the world. They were all under Lucifer's command, although they still looked up to Lucilius, as their original creator.

Today was one of Beelzebub's rare off-days, and so he decided to visit Lucilius's lab to see him. The last time he came there, Lucilius was starting a new batch of archangels; ones that were darker both in purpose and nature. He said it was all to maintain the balances between his creations or something like that, although the blond really didn't see the point of it.

Unfortunately, Lucilius wasn't in the lab, and neither were the staff; which was weird, since there was always one person manning the lab in Lucilius's absence to see unwanted visitors.

There was someone inside, though. Dark-haired, with skin even paler than Lucilius, wearing a white military suit accented with gold and a red scarf draped haphazardly on his left shoulder. He was observing the new primal beasts Lucilius made, which were hung with strings on one side to keep them straight up. He didn’t seem to notice Beelzebub’s presence; at least, not until the Astral got closer.

“Oh? A visitor?” He turned to face Beelzebub, a playful smirk on his pale face. “Sorry, but Cilius-san is out right now.”

“And who are you?” Beelzebub narrowed his eyes accusingly. “You’re not one of Lucilius’s lab staff.”

“Ah, pardon me. You must be... ‘Bub-san’ that Cilius-san kept mentioning?” He tilted his head to one side. “I’ve heard about you. He said to let you in and... offer you my  _ best _ treatment... if you ever stop by whenever Cilius-san is away.”

" _ Who are you _ ?" The blond asked again, his tone more hostile. "I'm not going to repeat myself."

"Whoops, easy there. I swear I'm not a suspicious person," the man chuckled. "I am called Belial, an archangel created by Cilius-san. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance... Bub-san." He bowed down gracefully to Beelzebub, but the gesture was more mocking than sincere.

"Who gives you the permission to address me  _ that _ familiarly?" Beelzebub growled. "Whatever. Where is Lucilius?"

Belial shrugged. "He informed me that he'll be with the Council all day, but didn’t say for what. You know that Cilius-san isn’t a very informative man.”

Beelzebub clicked his tongue. It’s annoying enough when he stopped by and Lucilius wasn’t in the lab, but it’s even more annoying when he encountered Lucilius's primal beast (especially one that looked suspiciously dubious like this). "Fine, then. Just tell him that I stopped by and hope he's still alive the next time I see him," he said, and turned towards the door to leave, only to be held back by a hand grasping his arm.

"What's the rush, Bub-san?" Belial gave him a smile, his grip tightening. "If you have so much free time that you're willing to come down here just to check on Cilius-san... What do you say about having some fun?” He winked. “With me?”

Beelzebub felt all the hairs on his body stood up. He snatched his arm away and glared at the primal. “...no thank you,” he said gruffly, rubbing off the spot where Belial had touched him. “I’m not interested.”

“Aw, you don’t need to be shy,” Belial laughed, but he raised both of his hands when the blond looked at him again with such hostility. “Then... See you later, Bub-san?”

Beelzebub didn’t bother answering as he left as fast as he could, frowning in displeasure. Why were his first contacts with Lucilius’s creations always end up creepy? He shuddered at the memory of Belial staring at him with such lustful glare—he hoped that he wouldn’t have to encounter the primal sooner. Preferably not at all, if he could choose.

  
  


Of course, Beelzebub always had the most rotten luck for encountering Belial over and over again—and he couldn't think it's a 'coincidence' either when the primal made no effort to hide the fact that he actually sought him out. Beelzebub had a feeling he actually enjoyed harassing him more than doing his own job.

"Are you sure you don't want to, hmm, Bub-san?"

Beelzebub felt a headache pounding inside. "How many times do I have to tell you that  _ no _ , I'm NOT interested?" He hissed impatiently. He  _ really _ didn't have the time nor the patience to deal with Belial every time. "Don't you have anything important to do other than pestering me?"

"No?" Belial smiled, resting his cheeks on his palms. "The reason that I keep 'pestering' you, as you put it, is because you keep refusing me."

Beelzebub felt like breaking that smile off his face. "Then," he closed off the report he was currently writing with a slam, "does that mean if I do what you want, you'll leave me alone?"

The glee in Belial's eyes were too obvious, his lips curling into a devious smirk. "So you're going to accept my proposal?"

"If that means I get my peace again, yes," the blond growled.

"I never pegged you for the impatient type, Bub-san," the dark-haired primal chuckled. "I thought you'll be far more of a challenge, since Cilius-san told me you hated his creations..."

Perhaps, if he was his usual self, he would have resisted Belial more. But there was something even Beelzebub couldn't quite put his finger on about this particular primal—and, if by sleeping with Belial would finally get rid of him, Beelzebub would gladly do it. "Are you going to do it or not?" He snapped.

Belial slowly put both of his hands on Beelzebub's chest and smirked. "Oh, I will," he said, licking his lips. "I'll make it so  _ good _ , you won't be able to forget about it."

Beelzebub almost rolled his eyes. What's the worst that a mere artificial creation could do to him?

  
  


Beelzebub had the chance to encounter Lucilius in his lab once after that, in one of his regular visits. Lucilius didn't really change much—all Astrals hardly did—but he raised an eyebrow when he saw Beelzebub, lips curling into a small smirk.

"You kept telling me that my primal beasts were nothing more than low, artificial creatures, but I see that one had fascinated you enough." He started, eyes forward and hands fiddling with a half-completed primal beast.

"Is that how you greet me, considering we haven't met in quite some time?" Beelzebub narrowed his eyes. "Explain."

"Belial," Lucilius said, and the blond tensed. "Rumours are circulating around the base that you... had fun with him a couple of times." He casted a glance at Beelzebub. "I don't peg you as someone who needs a sexual outlet, but I guess I underestimated sometimes at how close we resemble the mortals when it comes to carnal desires."

Beelzebub stared at Lucilius, who had focused back on his primal. "You had the gall to put the blame onto my shoulder when it  _ should _ be yours, since you created him," he growled, then turned his gaze at the newly-created beasts.

If Beelzebub were asked to describe them; Lucilius's first primals were probably way too bright for his taste, especially the one who had exactly the same face as him. However, lately, Beelzebub felt like his creations had steered onto a darker tone. Just like Belial; and probably several others that Beelzebub had the chance to see in between his trips to Lucilius's lab.

"What do you think of these beasts?" Lucilius apparently noticed his gaze that fell onto the primals.

"Isn't it too late to ask for my opinion now?" The larger Astral snorted, but he answered nonetheless. "You seem to have a change of heart regarding them. Your first creations were so bright it almost disgusted me, but these..." Beelzebub shrugged. "It's like an exact opposite."

Lucilius hummed. "Not exactly wrong, though." He nodded absentmindedly. "Why do you think I'm having a... 'change of heart', as you worded it?"

Beelzebub scrunched his eyebrows. Why did suddenly Lucilius feel like playing Twenty Questions with him? "How should I know?"

"Fair enough," Lucilius chuckled. "I'm just... bored, probably."

Beelzebub gave him a weird stare, but Lucilius kept going. "The Council wants me to keep creating the primal beasts and use them to wage a war with the Sky Realm."

"And you're bored because...?"

Lucilius casted a glance at him. "You don't seem surprised."

"By what? The war declaration, or the fact that they wanted to use  _ you _ to feed their silly proposition?" Beelzebub snorted. "At this point, nothing coming from the Council can surprise me anymore. They're so predictable, it's laughable." He sat down on one of the chairs and peered down towards the younger Astral. "You haven't answered my question. Why are you  _ bored _ ? The war should've been your opportunity to flesh out more ideas about the beasts you can create. If the Astrals win the war with their help— _ your _ help—you'd be hailed as a hero, and the Council wouldn't say no to your demands."

Lucilius pondered. "It's not like I'll stop creating these primals—it's just I found something new to play with, and this has even  _ more _ potential to help me reach my goal."

"Here I thought that all you care about is your experiments," Beelzebub smirked. "Care to share it with me?"

The younger Astral snorted. "You underestimated me too much, Beelzebub. Someday, you're going to regret it." He closed his eyes and clenched his fist. "I want to return the world to its natural state."

When Beelzebub only replied with a raised eyebrow, he continued. “The gods that created us—and this world—have meddled far too much; they just fix it every time something went wrong, without a single thought about the impact it brings."

"And how do you propose to ‘return the world to its natural state’?"

Lucilius smirked. "The war, what else?" He rested his chin on a hand, expression smug. "Let the Astrals destroy Sky Realm, and the mortals destroy Estalucia. When both of them are no more, that's when nature will take over; and my primal beasts will have their purposes returned at their fullest. Isn’t it perfect?”

“Hmph,” the blond snorted. “Just that? Don’t you have any desire to... perhaps, lead them yourself? Shape the new world however you like?”

“I’ll consider it when it comes true,” Lucilius shrugged. “Or perhaps,  _ you _ can do it instead.”

Beelzebub blinked in surprise. “ _ Me _ ?”

"Honestly, it  _ is _ true when you said all I care about is my experiments," Lucilius chuckled and stood up. "I know how long you've been plotting to get yourself a place in the Council; but when my ideal world comes true... Rather than just being one of the Council, how about you be the one who rules over it?"

Beelzebub raised an eyebrow at Lucilius's proposition. It wasn't like he desired the seat in Council to gain power over other Astrals, but the idea wasn't bad at all. Being fascinated over the Sky Realm since the beginning, uniting both the Sky Realm and Estalucia had been his goal in the first place. With Lucilius's help, it might come true sooner than he thought.

"Your idea isn't bad, but who's to say that it will be realised?" The blond chuckled. "The mortals have no chances against the primal beasts  _ and _ us Astrals combined."

Lucilius stopped and turned halfway, smirking. "Like I said, you underestimated the others too much. Don't blame anyone if someday one will stab you on the back." He laughed and walked out of the lab with a wave of hand. "See you, Beelzebub. May we see each other again soon."

Beelzebub gazed at Lucilius's back until the Astral disappeared from his sight. He turned his gaze towards the primal beast Lucilius had been tinkering with; one, a male with silver hair and the other, a female with long, flowing light chocolate locks. Both had a pair of wings and horns not unlike a Draph—and Beelzebub found himself curling his lips in disgust at them as he left the lab.

  
  


The next time they met again, however, their conversation ended up one-sided.

"...too bad it doesn't end up like you wish for, isn't it, Lucilius?"

Lucilius was unable to say anything in return as Beelzebub crouched near him, his head lay on the growing pool of blood. Beelzebub carefully picked it up and caressed the cold, quickly-stiffening cheek of his. Lucilius's eyes were closed, long eyelashes touching the skin gently, and if not by the fact that it had been severed completely from the body—by  _ his _ own creation—anyone might have thought he was just sleeping.

"Don't worry, though—I'll be the one who realised it. For my sake... And for yours, too." He murmured, before placing the head back on the floor and walked away, boots leaving a trail of blood behind...

...without realising a dark figure behind him, hiding beneath the shadow, lips curling into a smirk as they mouthed voiceless words.

_ You'll be the one who continues Cilius-san's legacy; so until then, he can rest easy... Bub-san. _

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me at [twitter](https://twitter.com/cup_of_comfort)!


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